Gabriel Colodro’s sharp political analysis examines whether the Bennett-Lapid alliance could reorder Israel’s opposition camp and alter the tone of the US-Israel relationship. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid are joining forces again under the Together framework, with Bennett expected to lead the list and Lapid moving into a secondary role.
The timing is not accidental. A new Lazar Research and Panel4All poll, cited by The Media Line, found that 46% of respondents viewed Bennett as suitable for prime minister, while 44% said the same of former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trailed at 41%, giving the opposition not one but two figures who now test better than the incumbent on leadership suitability.
That makes the Bennett-Lapid move more than another piece of campaign furniture. Dr. Assaf Shapira of the Israel Democracy Institute told The Media Line that the alliance is a win for both men: Bennett becomes the apparent leader of the anti-Netanyahu bloc, while Lapid protects Yesh Atid from a potential collapse and could plausibly return to the Foreign Ministry if Bennett forms a government.
Still, Israeli politics is a knife fight conducted with spreadsheets. Shapira warns that the merger may consolidate the opposition without pulling many voters from Likud. Eisenkot’s strength in the poll also matters: If he remains outside the alliance, he could complicate Bennett’s claim to be Netanyahu’s sole challenger.
The Washington angle gives the story its sharper edge. Ofir Dayan of the Institute for National Security Studies says President Donald Trump and Netanyahu have an unusually close personal relationship that Bennett would not automatically inherit. Michael Koplow of Israel Policy Forum says institutional ties would likely remain strong, especially on security, but the political tone could shift in Congress and beyond.
Colodro’s report is worth reading in full because it captures the real question: The alliance may have clarified the opposition’s structure, but the election will decide whether Bennett can turn polling momentum, Lapid’s machinery, and Washington’s close attention into power.